


High Society

by Slytherin_Princess_Nysa



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Arya Girl Group BROTP, Arya had a crush on Gendry, Arya is sixteen, Closets, Competitive, Drama, Drunken Kissing, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gendry Waters is a Baratheon, Gendry is nineteen, Gendrya - Freeform, If David and Dan can do whatever they want then so can I, Jealous Arya Stark, Jon Snow is a Stark, Love, POV Arya Stark, POV Gendry Waters, Robb and Jon know but don't want to know, Robberys, Rough Kissing, Shameless Smut, Smut, Sneaking Around, Still does tbh, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, the 'maybe having sex with him will get him out of my system' trope that never works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-05-28 07:35:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19389472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_Princess_Nysa/pseuds/Slytherin_Princess_Nysa
Summary: The Starks were always the best- too many kids and dogs to be controlled by two busy parents. Before he went away, Gendry would stay at their house all the time. Playing video games with Robb, Theon and Jon. Keeping Bran from breaking his neck when he wouldn’t stop climbing to the highest point of the trees in their backyard. Even little Arya and Rickon were apart of his routine- he’d help Rickon with his homework when Catelyn was busy and hide whichever vase Arya managed to break.He found each of the Starks easily, some more recognizable than others. He was still shocked that Rickon was as tall as Bran when he spotted Arya.The last time he had seen Arya Stark she had been nine, mud stained clothes and bloodied knees. Now she was, in two words, a heart breaker.





	High Society

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt I wrote on my Tumblr, syfygirl1998
> 
> I kind of switched up the Arya/Gendry dynamic so I hope you all enjoy it! And I made them have a three year difference instead of five because I didn't want to make Arya older than sixteen but also didn't want her to shag a twenty one year old.

**~Gendry Baratheon~**

* * *

At the sound of his alarm, Gendry crawled out from beneath his warm covers like a slug, dark hair sticking up from his head in every direction in odd spikes. Gendry reached up to swipe it away from his eyes. He glared at the bright light falling through the open curtains to his bedroom. Something he definitely hadn’t missed at boarding school, wide windows that let the sunrise into his room every morning and right into his eyes.

He hadn’t slept past seven since he had been given his own room at the age of six.

The door slammed open and Gendry jumped at the sound, his cocooned body wiggling until he rolled entirely off the bed. He heard muffled laughter but only groaned in response.

He envied his bright eyed and bushy tailed sister. A morning person, he was not.

“You look like a sad hedgehog.” a voice called from his door and Gendry glared up at his baby sister from his place under the mountain of blankets, sprawled on the floor.

“Fuck off, Cella.”

“Watch your mouth,” she sang as she moved into his room. “Or I’ll tell mum.”

“I’m an adult, I can curse if I want to.” he grumbled.

Myrcella shook her head, “Say that again when you have a bar of soap in your mouth.”

Gendry pulled the duvet over his head, using his arms as pillows against the harsh hardwood floors. “What do you want?”

“You have to get ready, we’re leaving for the Starks’ in half an hour.” Gendry looked up, Myrcella was sitting on his bare bed with her legs crossed, picking at her fingernails. She looked pretty in a flowery blue summer dress and Gendry rolled his eyes, his sister always dressed in bright colours. But she only wore her best dresses when they went to see the Starks. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she had a crush on one of the Starks or their guests.

“Why do I have to go again?” he asked, finally dragging himself out of the mess of blankets keeping him on the floor.

Myrcella sighed before dropping back into his pillows, uncaring for her hair. She began to recite what their mother always told them when they were feeling particularly lazy and searching for an excuse to stay home instead of going to whichever Stark event was happening, “Uncle Ned was father’s best friend and he’s our godfather. Our families have-”

“-been friends for decades and Uncle Ned was there for us when dad passed so we owe him the respect to show up and be our best.” he finished. “I know, Cella, I know.”

“Then get dressed.” she said flippantly as Gendry moved towards his closet, dragging his feet behind him. He yanked out a clean pair of jeans and tee shirt from his closet and made to smell them and Myrcella threw a pillow at him before he could get rid of the hangers, “Absolutely not, you heathen.”

He threw the clothes back into the closet, pulling out a button down and tailored trousers that he knew would make his mother happy. “Fine, I’ll be a proper little heir. Does this suit my eyes?” he held up the tie and blinked his eyes pointedly.

“Stop being so dramatic, Gen, you love the Starks.” Myrcella dropped her phone and took the tie out of his hand with a shake of her golden head. “And you haven’t seen them since you got back home, don’t you miss them?”

“It’s been, what? Seven years?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. “We emailed back and forth, called when the time difference allowed it. We’re still close.”

“That’s not the same and you know it.” Myrcella called as she stepped out of his room and he quickly changed into the proper clothes. A few minutes later, his sister pounded on the door impatiently, “Come on! I swear, Gendry, if I come in there and you’re back in bed, I will-”

He swung the door open and dove down quickly before her raised fist could knock straight into his throat. “I’m ready, by the Seven. Watch your hands, woman.”

She huffed and tossed the tie over his shoulder. Cella dragged him by his wrist, a lot stronger for a girl her size than he would have thought. They passed by Tommen on the stairs, their youngest brother walked slowly down with a brightly wrapped package held in his hands.

“Are we supposed to bring gifts? I thought this was just the annual Spring Banquet?”

“We aren’t but Tommen likes bringing Catelyn chocolates when we go over.” Gendry grinned up at their little brother when Tommen blushed and stuffed the gift into his bag quickly.

The three of them piled into the car with their mother sitting in the driver's seat and Gendry in the front next to her. He felt like a little kid again, going to the Starks with his family, cheesy music that his mother liked playing from the speakers as his siblings argued over one thing or another in the back.

It had been eight years since their father and brother passed away in a car accident, Robert and Joffrey had been coming back from Joffrey’s fencing lessons and a truck had spun out of control and hit them. Joffrey had held on in the ICU for a few days before his heart had finally gave out. Their mother hadn’t taken it well, who could expect her to?

Cersei had grown colder and more distant since but Gendry knew she still loved them, her children were the only thing that meant anything to her.

Gendry spent the last seven years of his life away from home and his family so he had missed a lot of her grieving but Myrcella and Tommen hadn’t spared him the gory details in their daily phone calls.

Part of him wanted to think his mother sent him to study at the best private school because she needed time to heal from the loss of his father and she wanted the best for him, but he knew it was because he looked too much like his father. He reminded her of Robert, all he’d done when he was alive and all he symbolized when he was gone. After years of sparse visits from his family, Gendry was finally home for good.

The drive to the Starks is quick, the Baratheons and Starks have estates next to each other. If it wasn’t for the vast amount of empty land between them, they would be considered neighbours. When they reach the high iron gate, Cersei rolled down her window and waved at the camera, the door yawned open a second later and Gendry eyed the two snarling wolf heads on the gates in passing familiarity.

They parked to the side and Cersei was preening them as soon as they stepped foot outside of the car. Myrcella’s hair was too frizzy, Tommen’s tie wasn’t straight, Gendry wasn’t wearing a tie in the first place.

Gendry rolled his eyes goodnaturedly and tugged on his mother’s arm gingerly, “Come on, mum. We don’t want to be late.”

Cersei checked her watch and quickened her step, “You’re right, sweetling. Let’s go.”

Gendry thought it was rather embarrassing to be fully grown and searching for your own flat and a steady job but still have your mother call you “sweetling”. But he didn’t mind it so much now, when Myrcella and Tommen received the same nickname.

The annual Stark spring banquet was loud and crowded, and Gendry had hated it before he had even stepped out of his mothers sleek car. On closer inspection, it was worse than he thought it would be. It was overly bright, cheery, and everyone was wearing too expensive clothing that would need specialized cleaning if they got even a speck of dirt on them. One of the servers waved them towards the backyard with a welcoming smile and the Baratheon family stepped carefully onto the finely trimmed grass.

But then it’s not all that bad.

The Starks were always the best family around- too many kids and dogs to be controlled by two busy parents. Ned was the CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation and Catelyn ran charities when she wasn’t helping him run the company. And with five kids, it was hard to even imagine Ned and Cat doing it all. And Gendry envied the Starks for it. His father had lost himself in work, he had given the most expensive presents and thrown the most lavish parties, but he was rarely there for any of the family events he paid for. Gendry could vividly remember his parents arguing about how much Robert missed.

Before he went away, Gendry would stay at the Stark house all the time. His parents were too busy and all his siblings had hobbies and liked to overachieve in school. Gendry liked a peaceful life and the Starks were a perfect fit.

He would spend the night constantly. Staying up late to play video games with Robb, Theon and Jon. Kept a wild Bran from breaking his neck (a point of pride for him) when he wouldn’t stop climbing to the highest points of the trees in their backyard. Even little Arya and baby Rickon were apart of his routine when he was at the Starks- he would help Rickon with his homework when Catelyn was busy and hide whichever vase Arya managed to break. He wondered if anyone found their stash of porcelain pieces.

Besides the boys his age, Arya was his closest friend. She was a tiny thing and loved getting him into trouble by involving him in her crazy schemes. Once she had even convinced him to help her make a treehouse and they’d nailed a tent into the low branches of a tree, it hadn’t lasted more than ten minutes when they actually tried to get inside and they’d both fallen out of the branches and straight into a mud puddle.

Memories of the Starks put an easy smile on his face and Gendry was excited to see them again after so long.

He found each of the Starks easily among the crowd, some more recognizable than others. Ned and Catelyn were welcoming guests, his arm comfortably around her waist and Cersei steered them towards them. Catelyn clapped her hands excitedly when she saw him. 

“Oh, look at you!” She came forward to wrap him in a warm embrace and Gendry gladly returned it. “You’ve gotten so big.” Catelyn looked up at him and Gendry remembered when he had to stand on his toes to hug her waist.

“It’s good to see you, lad.” Ned reached out to shake his hand when Catelyn pulled away.

“You both look exactly how I remember you,” Gendry grinned as Catelyn flushed happily at the compliment. “Well, maybe even better.”

“You’re too kind.”

When his mother and Tommen took over the conversation, Gendry excused himself. Ned threw him a mockingly jealous look and Myrcella slipped after him. Her arm locked with his and Gendry searched out any familiar faces.

Robb was talking to a pretty brunette with little embroidered roses on her dress while her white haired friend glared at Theon and took a step closer to Robb when Theon tried to move closer to her. Jon was standing a little further to the side from his brother, showing an older man, that Gendry vaguely recognized as Benjen, something on his phone.

Rickon and Bran were kneeling by two of the family’s huge dogs, scratching behind their ears and letting them lick kisses over their faces. The boys stood up after Sansa walked by with her friend and pointedly glared at their knees, pressed to the ground. He was still shocked that Rickon was as tall as Bran when they stood up, and then he spotted Arya.

The last time he had seen Arya Stark she had been a tiny nine year old with mud stained clothes and bloodied knees that threw handfuls of dirt at him and begged him to hide things she broke from her mother.

Now she was, in two words, a heart breaker.

She was definitely shorter than a girl of sixteen should be, but it suited her. Arya was slim and tanned, with long legs and a trim waist. She was wearing dark wash overalls, converse and a black tee shirt underneath. Simple, but pretty. Everything about her screamed ‘out of place’ surrounded by the flowing dresses and ironed button downs. When a giant dog, who he could only assume was her beloved Nymeria, jumped up to lick her face, Gendry could feel himself growing warm and happy.

Her friend laughed loudly, reaching over to scratch behind Nymeria’s ears, her golden bracelets ringing as her hand moved. Myrcella elbowed him in the side and Gendry looked down at his baby sister in alarm. Cella jerked her head towards the two girls and Gendry followed her silently as she walked towards them.

“Hey, Arry,” Myrcella called and Arya turned with a wide grin pointed at his sister. Her dark hair was braided up and over her head like a headband, a few curly strands falling to her collarbone. Gendry’s tongue swiped at his bottom lip, before his eyes rose from her swan like neck and up to her heart shaped face.

All three girls stared at him and he noticed that both the girls who were talking to Robb were migrating towards them too, “Sorry. What?”

“I asked,” Arya started slowly, like he was stupid and in that moment, he might have been because her voice was like sweet honey and he couldn’t hear anything else. “When did you get back to Westeros and come back up North?”

“Uh, oh.” he said eloquently. Gendry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “I landed a few days ago but jetlag and all that. This is my first time out of the house since.”

“Right.” Arya nodded, her pink lips scrunched in a pout. “These are my best friends. Your sister, obviously. Margaery,” the brunette with roses on her dress smiled kindly at him. “Daenerys and Arianne.” The white haired girl waved her hand lightly and the girl with golden bracelets gave him a little salute.

“Nice to meet you,” Arianne smiled. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You have?” he looked down at Arya while she sipped from her can of soda.

“Yeah,” Margaery glanced at Myrcella and Gendry felt a blush crawling up his face. Of course his sister would tell her friends about her big brother and why he was never around. “So you were in Braavos for school? Arya was there last summer.”

“You were?” Arya nodded. “You should have called, I could have shown you around.”

“Dany and I were there for a school programme,” Dany threw her arm over Arya’s shoulders and leaned on her. “It was only three weeks anyways.”

Gendry felt a little hurt that she wouldn’t call him, in fact, she and Rickon were the only two who didn’t send him weekly emails. Rickon because he was so young when Gendry left that he didn’t remember him all that well or have a strong connection with him. But he didn’t know why Arya wouldn’t. They had been friends, close friends, despite the three year difference between them. She had wrote constantly in the beginning and then it had faded to only once in a while, little anecdotes about school and Nymaria but her letters had suddenly stopped and Gendry had been too busy with his life and school in Braavos to notice.

“Did you guys hear that Theon’s sister is coming into town?” Margaery turned away from him, apparently having lost interest.

“Asha’s coming?” Arianne snorted. “Bet Theon loved finding out that.”

Myrcella leaned in to whisper into his ear, “Asha inherited Greyjoy Industries from their father last year and Theon hasn’t taken it well.”

Gendry nodded and tried to listen as the girls carried on their conversation but he quickly tuned them out, staring as Arya’s lips quirked into a teasing smile when she nudged Dany towards the Stark house. She threw her head back and laughed, her shoulders shaking at something Arianne had said. An elbow dug into his ribs again and he glanced down at his sister.

Myrcella leaned in again, “If you can’t keep your eyes to yourself and away from my friends, then please go over there and spent time with Robb and Jon instead. Please.”

Gendry thought about staying with the group of girls but his eyes seemed to drift back towards Arya without his consent, drinking her in with every touch of his eyes. Her steel eyes turned to meet his and Gendry felt the air in his lungs evaporate. Arya blinked at him, her teeth worrying her bottom lip before she turned back to Arianne.

It was strange, feeling attracted to Arya. They had known each other their whole lives. They’d gone on vacations together. Toddler Gendry had held Baby Arya for Christmas pictures. But now she was older, prettier and had the cutest little dimple in her cheek when she smiled widely and her voice was so warm and comforting.

But it was overwhelming to be feeling these- these feelings for Arya Stark. He tried to look at Margaery and Arianne and feel the same butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Nothing. Arguably they were both more traditionally beautiful but they didn’t do anything for him.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but I should go see your brothers,” Arya turned to him with a smile and she pointed them out at the deck. He squeezed Cella’s arm, leaning down to kiss her forehead before turning and walking away without another word.

Robb was sitting on a lawn chair, legs stretched out over Jon’s armrest. Jon knocked down his legs only for Robb to cross them right back over. Gendry could see Theon in the kitchen, talking on the phone with wide hand gestures.

“Well, well, well,” Robb started. “If it isn’t Gendry Baratheon, back from the dead!”

Jon turned in his chair, a rare grin lighting up his face. They both jumped out of their chairs and Gendry was enveloped in a warm bearhug from both boys. They pulled apart and Jon clasped his shoulder tightly in his hand.

Jon pulled him over to the chairs and the three of them took a seat. Robb passed around opened cans of beer and Gendry took a grateful drink. “I know you told us you were coming back but you didn’t say you would be here!”

“Last minute thing, mum and Cella wouldn’t hear a word of jetlag.” Gendry couldn’t find his mother in the crowd but he spotted Myrcella where he had left her, right next to Arya and Nymeria. He pointed at his baby sister and both Starks turned to the group of girls.

“I thought I saw you over there,” Robb grinned and shook his head. “I was wondering when you’d wander away from Arya’s little wolf pack.”

“Her wolf pack?” Gendry laughed.

“She spends more time with those four than with our actual family,” Robb rolled his eyes. “Thank the gods that they’re all going to the same schools because they would never survive the separation. Sometimes I think Arya would trade all of us for them.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Jon asked cryptically and Robb shrugged, taking a long drink from his beer. “You can’t avoid it forever.”

“How was the den?” Robb asked, ignoring his brother.

“Last time I saw her, she was running around in ripped shirts and had shorter hair than I did.” he couldn’t picture that little girl anymore, especially with present day Arya looking back at him with a mischievous smile curling her lovely lips.

“Yeah,” Jon snorted. “She used to have the most embarrassing crush on you before you left for Essos.”

Gendry’s head snapped back towards Jon, “She had a what?”

He would have noticed that right?

“It was adorable and cliche as hell,” Theon added, coming in through the door to join them. He fist pumped Gendry before sitting down. “Her journal was filled with little heart and ‘G.B + A.S’ all over it. I think there was a doodle of wedding invitations and your kid names. If she wasn’t ten at the time, I would have labeled her obsessive and creepy.”

Robb shoved his shoulder. “Stop it, man. You made fun of her for weeks.”

“Arya avoided him for like a year,” Jon pointed at Theon.

Gendry turned back towards Arya. He couldn’t remember her acting differently when they were kids but if Theon made fun of her then it would explain why she stopped emailing him. She probably thought he knew and would follow Theon’s lead and tease her.

Which he wouldn’t have done.

Little Arya had been his friend, but grown up Arya? He didn’t know what she was yet.

Arianne caught his eye and shook her head before turning back to Dany and Arya.


End file.
